Car conveyer

ABSTRACT

A car conveyer wherein two-axle cars are arranged adjacent to each other on the horizontal sections of the track, for which purpose one axle of each car is pivotably connected through a rod to the right-hand driving chain, and the other axle - to the left-hand driving chain. Each roller mounted on the axle between the car and the rod moves on the guide located along the track. On the curved section of the track corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the chain, the guide is constructed in such a way that it enables the cars to pass freely on that section.

United States Patent 1 Kaletin et al.

[ 11 3,812,954 May 28, 1974 CAR CONVEYER [76] Inventors: Vladislav Mikhailovich Kaletin, ul.

' Kirova, 60, kv. 80; Anatoly Afonasievich Morokin, ul. Kirova, 60, kv. 72, both of Kurgan, USSR.

22 Filed: Aug. 16,1972

211 Appl. No.: 281,011

[52] US. Cl. 198/138, 104/172 B [51] Int. Cl B41j 13/02 [58] Field of Search..... 104/172 R, 172 B; 198/154,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,570,150 10/1951 Os'ojnak.....'.... V 198/138 2,886,166 5/1959 Lens 198/138 X Primary ExaminerTrygve M. Blix Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz &

Nissen [5 7 ABSTRACT A car conveyer wherein two-axlecars are arranged adjacent to each other on the horizontal sections of the track, for which purpose one axle of each car is pivotably connected through a rod to the right-hand driving chain, and the other axle to the left-hand driving chain. Each roller mounted on the axle between the car and the rod moves on the guide located along the track.

On the curved section of the track corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the chain, the guide is constructed in such a way that it enables the cars to pass freely on that section.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CAR CONVEYER The present invention relates to endless transport means, and more particularly, to car conveyers.

It is most expedient to use the car conveyer according to the present invention on complex tracks disposed in the same plane.

Known in the art are vertically-closed car conveyers which are provided with cars having two axles disposed at a distance one from the other within the length of the car. One axle of the car is pivotably connected with the right-hand driving chain. and the other axle with the left-hand driving chain according to the direction of travel.

The axes of the sprockets engaged with the driving chains on the turn-around track sections are displaced with respect to each other by a value equal to the distance between the axles of the car.

Such a connection of the car with the driving chains and the displacement of the sprockets permits the car to maintain a horizontal position along the entire distance of the car.

On the turn-around track sections of this conveyor,

the trajectory of any point of the car represents an arc of the circle drawn with a radius 'equal to the radius of the base circle. Since the length of projection of the are on the plane drawn through the chains on the horizontal track section is always shorter than the length of the arc trajectory, it is impossible on this conveyer to arrange cars on the horizontal section one immediately adjacent to the other, because on the turn-around section of the track these cars will climb one another.

In these conveyers the minimal pitch at which the cars are fastened depends on the length of the loaded car and amounts to the length of about three car lengths in order to prevent the follow-up loaded cars on the turn-around track area from occupying the areas taken by the front cars.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a conveyer wherein it is possible to fasten the cars to the driving chains at an arbitrary pitch independent of the car dimensions, whose minimal length can be equal to the length of the car.

In accordance with this and other objects of the invention it consists in a car conveyer in which one axle of the load carrying forward-moving car is connected to the righthand driving chain according to the direction of travel, and the other axle disposed at some distance from the first one within the length of the car is connected to the lefthand driving chain according to the direction of travel, with the axes of the sprockets engaged with-the driving chains being displaced with respect to one another by a value equal to the distance between the axles of the cars, according to the invention the connection of each axle in the car with the relevant driving chain is effected through a rod pivotably connected with the relevant driving chain and the car axle with the roller mounted on it, the roller moving along the linear guide which ensures the trajectory of the car axle which, on the turn-around track section corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the chain, is located outside the area confined by the sides of an imaginary rhomb wherein one diagonal being drawn from the geometrical centre of the roller situated at the point where the straight section of the guide passes into the curved section, through the geometrical centre of the sprocket and is equal to the double height of the loaded car, and the other diagonal is equal to the double length of the car.

If the height of the car when loaded is equal to the length of the car, it is expedient that the trajectory of the car axle governed by the guide on the turn-around track section corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the driving chain should form a part of the circle drawn from the geometrical centre of the sprocket with a radius equal, at least, to the length of the car.

Such an arrangement of the guides is simple in design facilitating the assembly, installation and adjustment of the conveyer.

In case the curved guide passes into the straight one on the turn-around track section, crossing the plane which passes through the driving chains, it is expedient that the configuration and size of the trajectory of the car axle governed by the section of the guide track situated between this crossing line and the point where the curved guide passes into the straight one should be identical with the configuration and the size of the trajectory of the car axle governed by the guide section situated between the diagonal of the rhomb drawn through the geometrical centres of the roller and the sprocket, and the crossing line of the plane which passes through the driving chains and the curved guide situated at the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the chain, with the centres of the curvature radii of these sections lying at the opposite sides of the car axle trajectory.

Such an arrangement of the guides makes it possible to install the conveyer on a complex track.

The car conveyer according-to the present invention allows for an increase in the effective load per unit of track length at the expense of a tighter positioning of the cars on the horizontal sections of the conveyer, with the cars freely negotiating the curved sections of the track.

Given below is the description of a specific example of the present invention with reference made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is the diagram of the track for the car conveyer with cars fastened to the driving chains according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view on the arrow A of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale, partially cut-away;

FIG. 3 is a view on the arrow 8" ofFIG. l, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a section on IV-IV of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a section on V-V of FIG. 1, to an enlarged scale;

FIG. 6 is a section on Vl--VI of FIG. 3, to an enlarged scale.

The track of the car conveyer consists of horizontal sections a (FIG. 1) and vertical sections b, the direction of travel whereon is indicated by the arrows lD.59

The car conveyer is comprised of two parallel righthand and left-hand driving chains 1. These driving chains engage the sprockets 2 on the turn-around track sections. A pair of sprockets 2 of one turn-around section is kinematically connected to the drive 3. The other pair of sprockets 2 is mounted on the tension station 4. The driving chains l are connected with the load-carrying cars 5 which advance along the entire track,

Each car 5 has two axles 6 (FIG. 2) displaced by some distance L with respect to one another within the length of the car. The geometrical axes 7(FIG. 1,3) of the sprockets 2 are displaced on every turn-around track section with respect to one another by the value L equal to the displacement of the axles 6 of the car 5.

One axle 6 of the car 5 is connected by the rod 8 with the right-hand driving chain I according to the direction of travel, and the other one is connected in the same manner with the left-hand driving chain I according to the direction of travel.

One end of the rod 8 is pivotably connected to the axle 6 of the car 5, and the other end to the pin 9 of the chain l.

Such a connection of the car 5 with the driving chains I and the displacement of the axes 7 of sprockets 2 ensures forward movement of the car 5 along the entire track and enables the car 5 to movealong the trajectory which does not depend on the radius of the sprocket 2.

Roller 10 is located on each axle 6 between the car 5 and the rod 8.

The conveyer has a frame II (FIG. 4 and 5) mounted on which are the sprockets 2 and the guides 12 for the driving chains I. The linear guides 13 for the rollers 10 located along the entire track are fastened to the same frame.

. The guides might not be installed on the vertical section 11" (FIG. I) of the track, at the uphill grade, where the car 5 hangs on the rods 8.

The guide 13 is curved on the turn-around track section corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket 2 engaged with the chain.

Said guide governs the trajectory cde (FIG. 6) of the axle 6 of the car 5 situated outside the area confined by the sides of of an imaginary rhomb cfgh'."

The diagonal cg of the rhomb is drawn from the geometrical centre of the axle 6 of the car 5 located at the point where the straight section of the guide passes into the curved one, (atthe point C") through the geometrical centre of the sprocket 2. The length of this diagonal is equal to the double height of the car 5 with the load 14. The other diagonal is equal to the double length of the car 5.

The connection of the car 5 with the driving chains l by means of the rods 8 and the movement of the rollers 10 along the guides 13 which govern the abovementioned trajectory, makes it possible to fasten the car 5 to the driving chains 1 at a pitch attributed to the length of the car 5.

If the maximum height of the car 5 with the load 14 is equal to the length of the car 5, the rhomb turns into a square with diagonals equal to the double length of the car 5. The trajectory of the axle of the car 5 governed by the guide 13 on the turn-around section "ede" of the track on the outer side of the sprocket 2 engaged with the driving chain, forms part of a circle whose radius is equal, at least, to the length of the car 5. The centre of said circle lies in the centre of the sprocket Such an arrangement of the guides is simple in design, facilitating the assembly, installation and adjustment of the conveyer, and also, the connection of the cars 5 to the driving chains I at a pitch equal to the length of the car 5 allows the conveyer to be constructed with minimal dimensions.

If the track of the conveyer is complex, as illustrated in FIG. I, the curved guide 13 on the turn-around section passes into the straight guide crossing the plane which passes through the driving chains at the points l5,l6,l7,l8,19,20,21 and 22. In this case, the configuration and the size of the trajectory of the axle 6 of the car 5 (FIG. 6) governed by the guide 13 on each curved section mn lying between the line n (in FIG. 6 the line is projected into a dot), where the trajectory crosses the axle 6 of the car 5 and the plane passing through the driving chains, and the point m" where the curved guide passes into the straight one, are selected similar to the configuration and sizes of the section de." The section "de" is located between the line ce" which coincides with the diagonal cg," and the line d.(in FIG. 6 it is projected into a dot), where the trajectory of the axle 6 of the car 5 crosses the plane passing through the driving chains I. The centres of the curvature radii of the sections de and mn" lie at the opposite sides of the trajectory denm.

The minimal distance between the points 11" and 01" should not be shorter than the length'of the car 5 to provide free passage of the car 5 on this section of the track.

At both sides of the conveyor there is an enclosure 23 (FIG. 4) fastened to the frame II.

, The drive 3 (FIG. 3) comprises the electric motor 24, the reduction gear 25, the intermediate shaft 26 and the chain gears 27.

The car conveyer operates in the following way.

On starting the electric motor 24 the motion is imparted to the driving chains I via the reduction gear 25, the intermediate shaft 26, the chain gears 27 and the sprockets 2. The car 5 while moving upwards, as illustrated by the arrows D in FIG. I, hangs on the rods 8, and on reaching the turnaround section with the rollers 10 against the guides 13, it moves at the outer side of the sprockets 2. Then the car crosses the plane which passes through the driving chains I in the area of the point 15, and moves along the straight section a" of the guides 13 until it reaches the turn-around section. Here the car 5 runs on the outer surface of the sprocket 2, and moving along the straight section 0" of the guides 13, reaches the next curved section. The

- car 5 runs on the outer surface of the sprocket 2, and

reaching the area of the point 16 it crosses the plane which passes through the driving chains, and moves further along the guides 13. The further movement of the car 5 along the track of the conveyer is similar to that which has been described above. Due to the rods 8 located on the turn-around sections of the track the cars 5 when loaded do not climb one another.

While moving along the curved section cde of the track, the axle 6 of the car 5 (FIG. 6) connected by the rod 8 to the driving chain 1, should move along the trajectory lying outside the rhomb cfgh," having one diagonal drawn from the point C where the straight trajectory passes into the curved one, through the geometrical centre of the sprocket 2. The length of this diagonal is equal to the double height of the car 5 with load 14 of maximum height. The length of the other diagonal is equal to the double length of the car 5.

With a complex track, as illustrated in FIG. I, in order to prevent the trajectory of the axle 6 of the car 5 from reaching the area of said rhomb at the sprocket 2 encar should pass from one sideof'the plane drawn through the driving chains to the other side at the points lS,l6,l7,l8,l9,20, 21 .and 22. g

In doing so, the axle 6 of the car 5 crosses the plane gaged with the driving chain'l, it necessary that the equal-to double height of said car when loaded, the

other diagonal ,of said rhombus being equal to the doudrawn through the driving chain's (points d and n in F IG. 6). The distance between these lines may vary from the length of the car 5 to the pitch at which the cars are fastened to the driving chains].

The guides 13 should be able to govern the same trajectory of the axle 6 of the car Son the sections fde" and nm, for which purpose the centres of the curvature radii of the sections should lie at the opposite sides of the trajectory of the axle of the car.

What is claimed is:

l. A car conveyer having straight and turn-around sections of track, comprising: a frame; two sprockets mounted parallel to each other on said frame for each of said turn-around sections of the conveyer track; two driving chains mounted on said sprockets, one driving chain being a right-hand chain and the other driving chain being a left-hand chain "according to thedirection of travel; load-carrying cars located between said driving chains and having two axles spaced lengthwise of said car, said axles connecting said cars with said chains, ,so that one. axle is connected with said righthand driving chain and the other axle is connected with said left-hand chain; rods for linking said car axles with said driving chains, one end of each rod being pivotabiy connected with the respective axle of the car, the end of each rod being connected to the respective driving chain, said sprockets of said driving chains being installed on each turn-around section of the track so that their axes are displaced with respect to one another by an amount equal to the distance between said axles of said cars; rollers, each of which is mounted on a respective axle of the car; linear guides having straight and curved sections fastened to said frame along the track, for moving said rollers and establishing the trajectory of the axle of the car, the guides on each said turnaround section of the track corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the respective driving chain and being located outside the area confined by the sides of an imaginary rhombus.'one diagonal of said rhombus extends from the geometrical center of the car axle at the point where the straight section of the guide passes into the curved section through the geo metrical center of the sprocket, said one diagonal being ble, length of said car; and driving means for driving said chains. Y

2. A car conveyer as setforth in claim l, wherein, the trajectory of the car axle established by the guide on the curved section of the track corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the driving chain, forms part of the circle having its center coinciding with the geometrical center of the sprocket, the radiusof said circle being at least equal to the length of the car, when the height of the car with the load and the length of the car are of the same size.

3. A car conveyer as set forth in claim I wherein the curved section of the guide passes into the straight section on the tum-around section of the track and crosses the plane passing through the driving chains in a crossing line, the configuration and the size of the trajectory of the car axle established by the section of the guide lying between said crossing line and the point where the curved guide passes into-the straight one, being identical with the configurationandsize of the trajectory of the car axle established-by the section of the guide located between theextension of the rhombus diagonal extending through the geometrical centers of the roller, sprocket and said crossingline, the curved section of the guide being located at the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the chain, the centers of curvature of the curved sections lying on opposite sides of the trajectory of the car axle.

4. A car conveyer as set forth in claim 2, wherein the curved section of the guide on the tum-around section of the track passes into the straight section and crosses the plane passing through the driving chains in a crossing line, the configuration and the size of the trajectory of the car axle established by the guide section lying between said crossing line and the point where the curved and said crossing line, the guides being located at the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the chain, the centers of curvature of the curved sections lying on opposite sides of the trajectory of the car axle.

. t l' i 

1. A car conveyer having straight and turn-around sections of track, comprising: a frame; two sprockets mounted parallel to each other on said frame for each of said turn-around sections of the conveyer track; two driving chains mounted on said sprockets, one driving chain being a right-hand chain and the other driving chain being a left-hand chain according to the direction of travel; load-carrying cars located between said driving chains and having two axles spaced lengthwise of said car, said axles connecting said cars with said chains, so that one axle is connected with said right-hand driving chain and the other axle is connected with said left-hand chain; rods for linking said car axles with said driving chains, one end of each rod being pivotably connected with the respective axle of the car, the end of each rod being connected to the respective driving chain, said sprockets of said driving chains being installed on each turnaround section of the track so that their axes are displaced with respect to one another by an amount equal to the distance between said axles of said cars; rollers, each of which is mounted on a respective axle of the car; linear guides having straight and curved sections fastened to said frame along the track, for moving said rollers and establishing the trajectory of the axle of the car, the guides on each said turn-around section of the track corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the respective driving chain and being located outside the area confined by the sides of an imaginary rhombus, one diagonal of said rhombus extends from the geometrical center of the car axle at the point where the straight section of the guide passes into the curved section through the geometrical center of the sprocket, said one diagonal being equal to the double height of said car when loaded, the other diagonal of said rhombus being equal to the double length of said car; and driving means for driving said chains.
 2. A car conveyer as set forth in claim 1, wherein, the trajectory of the car axle established by the guide on the curved section of the track corresponding to the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the driving chain, forms part of the circle having its center coinciding with the geometrical center of the sprocket, the radius of said circle being at least equal to the length of the car, when the height of the car with the load and the length of the car are of the same size.
 3. A car conveyer as set forth in claim 1 wherein the curved section of the guide passes into the straight section on the turn-around section of the track and crosses the plane passing through the driving chains in a crossing line, the configuration and the size of the trajectory of the car axle established by the section of the guide lying between said crossing line and the point where the curved guide passes into the straight one, being identical with the configuration and size of the trajectory of the car axle established by the section of the guide located between the extension of the rhombus diagonal extending through the geometrical centers of the roller, sprocket and said crossing line, the curved section of the guide being located at the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the chain, the centers of curvature of the curved sections lying on opposite sides of the trajectory of the car axle.
 4. A car conveyer as set forth in claim 2, wherein the curved section of the guide on the turn-around section of the track passes into the straight section and crosses the plane passing through the driving chains in a crossing line, the configuration and the size of the trajectory of the car axle established by the guide section lying between said crossing line and the point where the curved section of the guide passes into the straight section, being identical to the configuration and size of the trajectory of the car axle established by the guide section lying between the rhombus diagonal extending through the geometrical centers of the roller and the sprocket and said crossing line, the guides being located at the outer side of the sprocket engaged with the chain, the centers of curvature of the curved sections lying on opposite sides of the trajectory of the car axle. 